Vi la princia
by Tsukiyo-kun
Summary: Fai is an exile living with his younger sister, Sakura. When fetching some water from the river turns into something more, how will this affect Fai and Sakura? Who is this woman who has been abandoned? NOT FaiXSakura!
1. Chapter 1

One night there was an array of shooting stars falling down to earth. There were some people who actually stopped what they were doing and take time and make their one desperate wish on the comet. Others went on with their lives, not even aware of the meteor shower taking place over their heads. Everybody else slept on blissfully, their slumber undisturbed. The moon was at its fullest and brightest, for an eclipse was occurring. The wind swayed gently, scurrying the little amount of leaves that it managed to take hold of.

The next morning begun quite peacefully. The birds were chirping happily, as the sun graced the sky with its presence. The bustling of critters was not audible enough to wake the man soundly sleeping on the uncomfortably plush couch. His breathing was slow, paced from his slumber. The man was very young, his frame unusually lean and lanky. The single shard of sunlight that had penetrated made his golden hair radiate beautifully. His skin was pale in color but glowed even in the absence of light. What managed to stir him from his sleep was the sharp sound of a plate being dropped. He sat up in shock before his mind acknowledged what had happened. He hurriedly ran into the kitchen to assess the damage done.

The young lady in the kitchen jumped in surprise before profusely apologizing for her actions.

"Gomen nasai nii-chan! I was trying to be as quiet as possible," she confessed mutedly, "I-i wanted so make you breakfast but I broke the plate when picking it up from the cupboard."

She backed up against the wall and leaned against it for support while she shook her head in embarrassment. Her eyes were level with the ground, she refused to look him in the eye and get reprimanded for her clumsiness. Instead of rebuking the unfortunate girl, the male purposely walked straight past her and began to rummage in the closet.

"…Fai?"

The gentleman known as Fai pulled out a dusty broom and handed it to the female. She hesitantly accepted it and looked up at her brother timidly. Fai looked out and saw that the sun was starting to come out. Fai knelt down and he gently took her hand and reexamined the smaller woman for cuts. He glanced up at her and took in her features.

Her skin was light in color, although faded by overexertion. Jade eyes greeted his crystal blue ones. Beads of sweat glued her hair to her forehead. Strands of her chestnut hair touched the corners of her eyes. Her hair barely made contact with her shoulders. Her face was still rounded by her youth, cheekbones not yet visible. The small bridge of her nose complimented her petite mouth. Her lips were parted due to a lack of understanding her brother's intentions.

"I take it that you're not hurt, Sakura."

"Not at all! Although the plate…," Sakura responded uncertainly.

"The plate can be replaced. You can't." Fai broke in. His words were purposeful, unwavering.

"I'll clean this up. If only I wasn't such a klutz this would have never happened in the first place." Sakura retorted with false bravado in her voice. Her eyes filled with determination.

Fai released her hand and stood up. He placed his hand delicately on top of her head and slightly ruffled Sakura's sweat covered hair.

"Please be careful. If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself for not protecting you. You don't have to push yourself."

"Thanks for your concern but I want to do this. I want to be useful to you," Sakura said defiantly.

"Stubborn as always. I guess if I can't make you change your mind that there is no use for me here. Somebody has to keep a roof over your head." Fai smiled wistfully.

Fai removed his hand from Sakura's head. Sakura watched in silence as Fai sauntered out of the hut. She turned back to the mess she made and began to sweep up the shards into a pile. Fai was right. Each person should be kept to their own purpose. Her purpose was to help Fai in any way possible.

Fai heard leaves crunch under his feet as he strolled into the forest to get some water. He ventured for a mile before a root sliced through his ankle causing it to bleed. Fai looked down at his wound for a moment and continued on. He eventually made his way to the stream. As Fai was about to scoop up fresh water into the bucket, he spotted a pool of blood.

His eyes followed the trail until he found the source. At first he only saw an arm sprung about. When he gazed closer he noticed that the arm was connected to a person, no, a woman. She had nothing covering her. On her back was a tattoo or possibly a marking that was completely visible that ran from her shoulders down to her tailbone. Perhaps she was a mage.

He stared in horror, he was positive that anybody who lost this much blood was dead. Surely, no one can survive a blood loss this great. He flipped the girl over onto her back. Her hair gleamed an unnatural color of… orange? How could anyone have orange hair? The woman's bangs shielded her forehead. Unruly hair stuck to various sections of her collarbone and shoulder blades. Dry blood was caked on the corner of her mouth and all over her chest. She was out here for a while.

Her ivory skin was dull and translucent; Fai observed that she was skeletally emaciated as well. She was not very tall. She couldn't be an adult; she had to be a child. Fai started to have doubts when he saw how "developed" certain areas of her body were, and how other parts were not.

Fai leapt back when he saw the chest ruggedly heaving in and out, contradicting him. Fai would have never thought she would be conscious, but he was proven wrong again when he saw her eyebrows furrow in agony. He couldn't help but to wonder what happened to her. What or who caused this to occur and why?

She began to have a coughing fit. Fai wasn't certain if she was going to cough anything up so he turned her onto her side. He was immediately relieved about this decision when she began to spit out blood. Seconds later, the spit became vomit. She was losing more blood.

Fai started to panic as the ground around him was stained crimson with the blood that the woman vomited up. Soon, she quit vomiting and slowed to an occasional cough. Fai took off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders. He fastened the buttons to cover her. It was large on her and went down to her mid-thigh. When she stopped coughing, Fai managed to kneel down to hoist her up bridal style. She was not very heavy, thanks to malnutrition. Fai could feel almost every bone in her body. He looked into her face and noted the fact that she hasn't opened her eyes even once. Fai cautiously straightened up; taking care to not injure the lady he was carrying.

"Wait."

Fai felt her body stiffen and paused. She leaned over his shoulder and gave one last wet cough, the last of the blood being expelled out of her. Fai waited for her to say more but she went limp. He slumped her body over his shoulder and went back to grab his bucket. Fai knew that she would need as much water as possible. He placed the pail in the river and filled it up. Fai continued his journey uninterrupted, she did not regain consciousness.

When Fai finally made it back to his cabin he checked the girl he was carrying. Seeing that her condition had not changed, Fai set her body down on the couch he slept on. He grabbed a folded blanket that was on top of the rocking chair and placed it over her.

"Sakura!"

Sakura descended the staircase hurriedly. When she entered the living room she saw the unconscious girl on the couch.

"Yes?"

"Sakura, go into town and get the doctor! She lost too much blood!" Fai barked out.

Sakura nodded at her brother and sprinted out of the door. She knew that her brother was not welcome in the city. She could still enter the town though. She would bring the doctor by any means possible.

Fai set down the bucket of water on the kitchen counter. He turned off the light and steadied himself into the rocking chair near the fireplace. Fai knew it would be awhile before Sakura came back and even longer before the female woke up. Now it was time to rest. Fai allowed himself into slip into a dreamless sleep.

Sakura ran through the crowded streets of the city. Her willpower was unfaltering; she had a mission that she had to complete. Sakura turned around the corner into a less busy street. She entered an alley as a shortcut. Sakura hurled her frame over a trash can and sidestepped just in time to dodge a stray cat. She felt the chill of the concrete walls around her, the absence of light making the dingy alleyway even more unpleasant.

Sakura saw sunlight breaking through the black, the end was in sight. Sakura pivoted her heel and veered right. The hospital cross on the sign hanging overhead was visible to Sakura now. It was less than five hundred feet away. Sakura was quickly closing the distance in a matter of seconds. Sakura rapidly opened the door that separated her from completing her task. This earned her a quizzical look from the office clerk.

"I need to speak with the doctor! There's an emergency!" Sakura yelled desperately.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. He's quite busy at the moment and generally doesn't take patients without appointments."

"I see nothing that is life threatening, at least nothing worth shrieking about. Why are you even here?" The medical practitioner questioned.

"It's not me! There's a woman on the outskirts of town that has lost a lot of blood! She might die if you don't help her soon! Please! You must save her life!" Sakura pleaded helplessly.

"All right. I'll see what I can do. I can't make any promises since I don't know the full situation."

"Thank you!" Sakura bowed graciously.


	2. Chapter 2

Fai's nap was cut short prematurely by the cries of pain coming from the couch. He knelt down beside her and grimaced as he realized her condition was becoming unstable. She tossed and turned fretfully and began whimpering gibberish that Fai could not understand. Fai watched at how vulnerable she had become and her life energy was quickly dying away. Shock was affecting her body as she convulsed rampantly. She was slipping into death's unending coma.

"Please stop! I can't die yet!" she begged frantically. She walked forward blindly in the confines of her mind. Everything was desolate, nothingness surrounded her threatening to engulf her soul and break her very existence. The air itself was crushing her and compelled her to bend to its will. It took strength from her heart to resist this alluring numbness. She stopped when she heard a sweet, affectionate voice calling to her.

"Why do you fight me? I only wish to end your suffering. Yet, you won't even let me do that. I will not harm you."

"Your words are nothing but lies and deception meant to lull me into a false sense of security. What you truly yearn for is my death. I can see through your hollow mask and I won't let you take my life."

She saw the mask cracking and pieces of it crumbled away. Artificial warmth seeped out of the fractures, dissipating in the atmosphere. Cold eyes replaced the warm voice. A sudden chill went down her spine, instilling an unknown source of fear in her. A sharp stab in her heart made her double over, clutching her chest.

"My, what a strong resolve you have! So smart and independent, not to mention brave. Yes… you would make a lovely pet. Perhaps you could be my _favorite_. But before you can become my pet, I have to break you first. What good is a pet if you can't bend them and bend them until they break? Don't worry though; I take very good care of all of my pets."

"Who do you think you are? People are not pets." She spat testily at him.

"Who am I? I am King Ashura, your new master."

"Damn you to hell before I ever devote my servitude to you."

"Feisty little thing, aren't you? I like that." Ashura beamed.

She looked him in the eye before she spat in his face. A smirk formed on her face when Ashura drew back and stared at her with bewilderment evident on his face. He made the most unmanly squeak. That was so worth it. A small chuckle escaped from her lips.

When Fai placed his hand on her forehead, he immediately sensed an evil spirit possessing her. Out of instinct, Fai quickly muttered an incantation to ward off the dark force. He paused for a moment when a small, almost inaudible snicker erupted. He dismissed it as a figment of his imagination and returned to the task at hand, keeping this nameless girl alive.

Ashura took a step back in disbelief and his mouth gaped open like some simpleton. Did she seriously spit in his face? One does not spit in the face of royalty. He reached up to touch his face and wipe the spit off. He glanced at his hand, his eyes widened when he noticed the red. Blood? She spat blood at him?

She took his confusion as her opportunity to gather herself together. Noiselessly, she stood up and walked over to a dazed Ashura. By the time he noticed her shadow resting over him it was already too late. She slapped him. Ashura was not prepared for this; he sidestepped and did not catch his footing. His fall was anything but graceful as he flailed around. Ashura hastily scooted as far back as he could from this savage woman.

There she was, towering over him. Her face was filled with disgust. Ashura had to wonder how this female managed to overpower his magic. Sure, he was out of it, but he didn't become the king by letting little girls trump him. She had a magic all her own, an unnatural kind of magic.

"You aren't a human?"

"Do not mistake my source of strength as being that of a nonhuman. My power comes from my soul, the strength of heart."

"Breathe, please breathe." Fai begged the unresponsive girl. Her breathing was becoming labored. He began chest compressions on her. Fai heard footsteps nearby. He turned his head towards the door and watched as two figures entered his house. Fai let out a tiny sigh of relief. Sakura had brought the doctor.

"Her circumstances are not good…" The doctor observed. "She needs immediate precautions taken if she is even going to have a chance at surviving. Water is going to be needed to be given to her. She is extremely dehydrated and she needs many nutrients to even be considered relatively healthy." His voice faltered slightly, he covered his mouth with his hand. "Oh God…"

"What is it?" Sakura questioned innocently.

"She should have been dead days ago. It's not possible to survive without some form of water for three days at the maximum. Judging by looks alone, I would guess that she has not had any sort of nourishment for about a week."

"What does that mean?" Sakura peered over on the comatose girl. Her face was bleached of all color. Sakura could see the malnutrition evident on the other female but could not reach the same conclusion as the medical professional.

"That doesn't matter." Fai cut in abruptly. "Can you save her life? Yes or no?"

"I don't even know where to begin, let alone keep her alive. So much needs to be done. What should I do? What can I do?" The doctor contemplated.

"That's not the answer I wanted to hear, doc."

"What do you expect me to do? She's dying as it is and I don't even think she is human!"

"Does it really matter what she is? She is your patient. Her life is in your hands."

"Fine! Get my damn surgical supplies, Syaoran!" The practitioner snapped. He was not about let his pride or reputation be damaged in any way. Sakura watched as a boy from the corner of the house scamper away from his master to do his bidding. The surgeon hastily pulled a pair of latex gloves out of his lab coat pocket and slipped them on. Syaoran ran inside and delivered the box holding various needles and sharp instruments. The doctor opened it and chose the appropriate devices.

"That's more like it." Fai smirked. The doctor merely grunted in acknowledgement before turning back to his work.

"Here goes nothing."

"Hmm… I see. Strength of heart indeed." Ashura repeated to himself, still failing to grasp the meaning behind the words.

"No. You do not understand. You have no idea. My words are hollow to you, aren't they?"

"Why of course! I have no use for willpower among my pets. I can't have you fighting back, now can I?" Ashura regained his composition to continue to bait at his new object of interest. He couldn't let her get away now.

She merely frowned in detest. She glanced up over her shoulder.

"What is that?" She questioned bluntly.

"What is what? There is nothing here except for you my beloved new pet." Ashura searched around suspiciously trying to see what the other was trying to pull.

A new voice called out to her and grabbed onto her very core, dragging her towards the light. Wait. Shouldn't one stay away from the light to avoid death? Typically, yes, you do avoid the light when possible. There was something odd about this light though, it was taking away from the current scene and placing her in an entirely new setting. This new place was one of excruciating pain. Ashura was gone and she didn't care where either. She was focused on trying to breathe. Ashura was the least of her concerns now. Staying alive was. What a strange light…


	3. Chapter 3

"Hold on. I think I got something." The doctor broke the silence to raise his arm to motion Fai to come. Fai hastily rushed over and knelt down to be eye level with the surgeon.

"You do?" Sakura spoke hopefully. She released a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

"Yes. Yes I do have something! Her heart rate is increasing! Quick! Get the water! She's coming around!" The practitioner barked out. Syaoran once again ran off to get the item of desire.

"Does this mean she'll make it, doc?" Fai asked the inevitable question. He had to know.

"It's too early to know for sure. It's a miracle that she even survived this long, not to mention waking up from a coma in less than an hour. I honestly don't know what to expect from a patient like her. All I can say is that her future is up to her. She has to end this fight herself." He answered without looking up at Fai. The doctor grabbed her wrist and felt her pulse, counting each beat. Syaoran came back with the bucket of water that Fai got from the river earlier.

Fai had an idea of why she is still alive. It seemed entirely likely that she was indeed a mage. Fai knew that no human could possibly have the strength to survive that great of a blood loss on top of sudden shock. If what the doctor had said about her not having any sort of nourishments for a week was true, that would have made him certain that she was harboring some sort of magic in her system. A very potent magic to add at that.

Magic was forbidden. There was no question about it. Only the king was allowed to have magic. Magicians were punished harshly. Most got burned alive on a stake, if they were lucky. Fai grimaced as he knew what her future would be if the villagers found out. Nobody deserved that kind of treatment, even if they are different than us.

"Do what you have to do. I believe you know what to do. You deserve to live as much as I do." Fai whispered under his breath.

"Did you say something?"

"No. It's nothing at all." Fai responded.

"Ah, I must be hearing things then. It must be a sign that it's almost time to retire." The surgeon said pensively. "Boy."

"Yes?" Fai frowned slightly at the name.

"Do you have a cup or a glass for her?"

"Yes. Wait just a moment." Fai stood up to do the errand the doctor asked. He took long strides into the kitchen. He reached forward into the cupboard that gave Sakura trouble earlier. It was a rather simple task for him to reach any shelf he wanted to. Fai could see how it could have been difficult for a shorter person. He leaned forward to easily skim across the middle shelf. With the tips of his long, slender fingers, Fai gripped the bottom of a cup. He pulled it out and shut the cabinet. Fai quickly paced back into the living room.

"Finally, you're back. Come quick! She should be waking up any second! Her breathing is becoming quicker." The doctor bellowed frantically. Fai sat down next to the surgeon.

"Here." Fai thrust the glass into his hand.

"You got the glass. That's not important right now. Help me hold down her body. If I'm correct, she'll start to convulse as soon as she becomes conscious. Using a great deal of energy in a short time causes the body to lash out. We have to get ready now so she doesn't hurt herself or anybody else in the process." The practitioner roughly placed the cup on the ground.

Fai gripped down on the girl's left shoulder. He could feel her collarbone without applying pressure. Fai heard her breathing hitch and prepared himself for the worst. Then all hell broke loose without warning.

A bloodcurdling scream pierced through the silence like a knife. Turquoise eyes shot open before shutting as quickly as they opened. Her entire corpse trembled under the forceful hands trying to keep her still. Fai had difficulty with trying to keep the small woman from wriggling away.

"Keep a hold of her! She can't control herself! It's only natural that she'll be in pain, but that is not a reason to let her run rampant!" The doctor pushed down harder on the girl.

"I'm trying to. It's not exactly the easiest thing, doc." Fai had to pity the girl. He may have it rough trying to render her immobile. Fai couldn't imagine what she could be going through that would cause her this much suffering and yet, being unable to die.

After several minutes that seemed like an eternity, the shrieks quieted down to gentle sobs and incoherent muttering. Her full body quivers gradually died down to an occasional involuntary tremor every other second.

Fai had let go of the girl when he deemed it was safe to do so. This earned him protests from the surgeon. Fai ignored his rant and snatched the cup from the ground and gently scooped up some water. When the doctor saw Fai hold up the glass, his scolding ceased.

"What? I can't get some water for _your_ patient? I mean, she just woke up from a coma and had a seizure and you're reprimanding me for keeping her hydrated?"

"No! I mean-" The doctor cut his speech when he saw that he was falling into Fai's verbal trap. He let out a loud sigh as if it would make him forget the sharp-tongue adolescent next to him.

"That's what I thought."

"I wonder if she is capable of communicating. I mean I haven't heard her say one word in our language when she was awakening." The practitioner mused quietly. He scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm…"

Fai pressed his back against the wall. He had to agree with the doctor. Fai had only heard her speak just once. The only word she had said that had made any sense was the word wait. Now that he actually thought about it, her voice was accented. It was perfectly clear to Fai that his language was not her primary tongue. Fai frowned and turned his head to the side as he tried to guess what her main language was.

While Fai was distracted in his thoughts, the surgeon stood up. He took one last glance at his patient before confronting Fai. "It seems that my work here is done."

"You're leaving?"

"Yes, her current state is not fatal. There is nothing more for me to do. I have already done all I can and more." The practitioner answered.

"Good day, Doctor Kyle!" Sakura waved goodbye.

"Yes, good day to you too, Sakura. Syaoran! Come on! I have work elsewhere." The doctor shouted. Syaoran ran to his side and followed him out. Even Sakura could tell that the boy feared the older man.

"Good day to you too, Syaoran!" Sakura called out to the young boy. Syaoran flinched slightly in surprise. Clearly, he did not expect any sort of parting. Syaoran turned around to face Sakura.

"Thank you, miss. Good day." Syaoran returned the greeting. Sakura could swear that she saw a faint blush on the teenage boy's cheeks. Nevertheless, she still smiled at him.

"Syaoran! Come!" The surgeon called out again. The younger boy snapped back to his master's will.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get him in trouble." Sakura admitted.

"Quite alright." The doctor said back to Sakura in a condescending way.

"Okay." Sakura simply said. She rushed back into the kitchen.

"And you. You better watch your step. I know who you are and you are already in a tight position without her to add on. Mage, I don't know what kind of thoughts are possibly going through your head. If you put as much as one toe out of line, I'll tell the entire village what she really is." Doctor Kyle warned Fai. He took one last glance before shutting the door of the cabin. Fai could see the smirk on the doctor's mouth. He was not about to keep quiet.


	4. Chapter 4

Fai instantly locked the door once Doctor Kyle and Syaoran left. He walked back to the couch for what felt like the millionth time today. Fai sat down on the wood floor and propped his back against the cushion. He couldn't have been happier to get rid of the pair. The two of them got on Fai's nerves. Fai had never really liked Doctor Kyle, but desperate times call for desperate measures. So Fai wasn't the only one who figured out what the girl truly was. He snorted lightly and gasped. Does Sakura know?

"Sakura?"

"Yes?" Sakura poked her head out of the kitchen to answer her brother.

"May I ask you something?" Fai asked uncertainly.

"What is it?"

"Do you know what is keeping her alive?" Fai didn't know how to phrase his question to get the right response.

"I don't understand. Something is keeping her alive?" Sakura responded unsurely. She turned off the kitchen light and sat down next to Fai.

Fai scowled at himself. He thought about how he should tell her the truth as delicately as possible.

"What I mean is that she isn't like us. She may be human or she may not be. This much I am pretty much certain of, she does possess a magic all her own."

"What you are trying to tell me is she is a witch?" Sakura rephrased Fai's statement.

"Yes. I am almost positive that she is a mage."

"B-But isn't magic forbidden?!" Sakura hastily said.

"Yes. Magic is a forbidden art. If persecuted, she will be sentenced to death either by burning on a stake or being hung in the village center." Fai told her solemnly.

"That's not fair! She shouldn't be killed because of who she is!" Sakura hissed. Her eye brows furrowed in rage and she frowned as she put the facts together. Sakura was starting to understand how grave the situation was.

"I know. It's not right to murder someone because they aren't the same as us. Normal people are scared of anything that they perceive a threat. Being different than what is expected, that is considered as a danger to the village."

Fai clung to Sakura and began to gently rock back and forth. He rested his chin on top of her head and chose his next words carefully. Fai waited for Sakura to interrupt but Sakura remained silent.

"Magicians don't exactly have a choice on whether to accept or reject magic. It is a part of who they are." Fai went on. Sakura still didn't respond. She merely tilted forward so that she could lay her head against Fai's chest. Fai continued on to slowly rock Sakura back and forth. He softly hummed a lullaby for her. After not too long, Fai noticed that Sakura had fallen asleep. He couldn't blame her. They did have an exhausting and eventful day. Shortly after Sakura was out, Fai felt himself drifting off too. Sleep had claimed him as well.

When Fai woke up a strong smell hit him right away. He shifted his body and glanced up to check if their unknown guest was still there. She didn't move and was still lying on the couch in the same position as she was originally. Fai sniffed the air again and identified the smell as bacon. There was a second scent of toast. Fai peered into the kitchen to find Sakura busy at work making a breakfast style dinner.

"Oh! Hi! I didn't want to wake you up until I was done. I wanted to make you a proper breakfast but I messed up this morning." Sakura said cheerfully. She was currently adding more bacon to the skillet. Fai went through the cupboard and grabbed out plates and glasses to help out Sakura.

"Thanks! By the way, is she still asleep?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. She didn't move an inch. I'm starting to wonder when she will wake up."

"Oh." Sakura went silent for a moment before speaking again. "About that plate, I'll go into town and buy you a new one as soon as possible."

"Are you still worried about that?" Fai growled irritably. "I could honestly care less about the plate."

"Is that so?" Sakura murmured miserably. Fai could tell that she was sulking while she was taking out the toast.

"Is it just me or did it seem like you were interested in the doctor's assistant?" Fai changed the subject, hoping that Sakura would take the bait.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Sakura's face immediately turned crimson red. Fai had gotten to her temper.

"What was his name? Was it Syaoran?" Fai put his finger to his chin and furrowed his brow while looking up as if in deep thought.

"You're being mean!" Sakura pouted.

"Oh? Perhaps I was also imagining your enthusiasm when you told him goodbye?"

Fai glanced over at Sakura innocently. He had struck a chord. He took his finger off his chin and noticed that she stopped what she was doing. Fai also noticed that she was glaring daggers at him.

"And did you notice the way he was blushing at you when you said that?" Fai continued to tease at her.

"Cut it out! That's not funny!" Sakura lightly hit Fai to express her annoyance.

"Oh really?"

"Yes! Stop that!" Sakura ordered.

"Okay, okay. All joking aside, I want to do better than this. You could really have a good future if you moved back to the village soon and maybe apprentice under a master." Fai brushed aside the taunting and hit her with the serious truth.

"Maybe I don't want to do better. What if I wanted to stay? What would you do about that?" Sakura retorted somberly.

"Don't joke about such things. I won't allow you to destine yourself to my predicament. I will get you out of here. Don't underestimate yourself for the rest of your life. You can do so much better."

Sakura finished up making their breakfast styled meal and made plates for everyone. Fai raided the refrigerator and pulled out orange juice and milk. The food consisted of bacon, golden-brown toast, biscuits, and fresh fruit from the garden. Fai carried out two of the three dishes out to their humble dining room.

"Ah! So you must be my gracious host! Thank you for your kind hospitality. Please pardon my intrusion. I shall be out of your hands soon." Her voice was heavily accented. She sat up and smiled at Fai as if all was well.

Fai spun around to face her. She was hiding her pain behind a smile. Fai sighed and brought her a plate.

"So you can speak our language." Fai stated.

"Of course! Why would you think otherwise?" She asked.

"Your dialect suggests differently." Fai answered her. "Do you have a name?"

"My name?" She said uncertainly.

"What do you call yourself?" Fai rephrased his question.

She beamed up at Fai. "My name is Taylor."

"Here." Fai pushed the plate into her lap.

"What is this?" Taylor held up a piece of food hesitantly. She examined it further and nibbled on the foreign object.

"That is bacon. Basically, bacon is pig meat."

"It's delicious!" Taylor exclaimed. She wasted no time in finishing her bacon. Taylor rotated her plate and took a bite out of the toast. She didn't like it as much as bacon but it wasn't bad. Taylor ate the toast slowly. Her amount of self-control surprised Fai. Clearly, she must be starving if she didn't eat for a week.

"Water." Taylor croaked. Her food was gone. She wiped her mouth daintily with the handkerchief that was in Fai's coat. Did she seriously eat everything while Fai wasn't watching? Well, she definitely managed to wolf down her food without his help.

"Water." Fai repeated. He grabbed the water that he had poured earlier for her. Fai sat next to her on the couch. He put one arm behind her back for support and used the other to slowly put the cup up to her lips. She accepted the glass hastily and greedily drank the entire cup in a matter of seconds. Fai refilled the cup and repeated the process several times until her thirst was sated.

"I know it's rude of me to ask, but do you have more food?" Taylor asked meekly.

"Hold on."

Fai quickly put more food on her plate before giving it back to her. This time, Taylor showed little restraint as she devoured more food. After half of the food was gone, Taylor stopped eating and looked up at Fai.

"So you figured it out." She spoke.

"Figured what out?"

"You know that I am a mage." She responded.

"Yes." Fai told her.

Taylor chuckled. "It would be kind of hard for the common human being to survive in the same conditions. I would be surprised if you didn't reach that conclusion."

"Magic is no laughing matter in this country." Fai growled at her.

"I didn't think so." Taylor said morosely. "What is the punishment here for being a magician?"

"Death." Fai announced without regard to her.

"Oh."


	5. Chapter 5

Taylor continued on with her meal without further interruptions. Fai took this time to join Sakura at the dining table to eat his own plate. Dinner proceeded with silence, not a word was shared during this time. Sakura didn't press the urge to strike up a conversation even though she was dying to. After all, when does a person suddenly appear out of nowhere and takes refuge in your home and how often is that person a fugitive mage that shows up on your doorstep?

"That truly was a scrumptious meal that you served, Sakura."

"How do you know my name?" Sakura questioned her. She never told Taylor her name. Sakura didn't even know her name.

"I heard Fai say your name." Taylor answered.

"So you caught on to our names?" Fai confirmed.

"Yes."

"Is it true that you know how to use magic?" Sakura inquired.

"Yes, Sakura, I know how to use magic and perform various magical customs several times a day. By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet, now have I? I am called by the name of Taylor. I am but a humble magician."

"You are not a humble magician. You have already proven otherwise without knowing." Fai pointed out.

"That's true." Sakura agreed.

"Humble I may act. Humble, I am not."

"Even if you had vast magical prowess, that still would not explain how you survived with a blood loss of at least one-fourth of your blood. No one, not even magical beings could possibly go into shock and wake up from a coma in less than an hour. It is also pretty unusual for a person who went through all of that to sit up and eat food with no assistance." Fai stated.

"Some things must never be said. There is so much that you can't divulge to others and yet you refuse to acknowledge the truth yourself." Taylor admitted with a sheepish grin. She glanced down to the floor and lowered her head in humility.

"I may have met a few witches in my lifetime and none were remotely as potent as you. Why are you different? What makes you stronger than the rest?"

"Me… special? I think not! I'm not special! I'm a reject!" Taylor raised her hand and pointed a finger at herself to demonstrate her point.

"Highly unlikely. I'm not a simpleton. I believe that you may contain much more magic in your body than King Ashura could ever hope to."

"Impossible! I am simply a healer by trade. I could never trump a king even if I wanted to! I'll never be good enough to do that!" Taylor protested.

"So you're a healer. That would explain a large amount of the vagueness left unanswered." Fai pondered.

"Magic is a gift that I have always possessed. Healing is my specialty. Fai?"

"Yes?"

"Who is King Ashura?" Taylor inquired desperately.

"King Ashura?"

"What is he like? What kind of person is he?" Taylor persisted. She creased her brow and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. If this Ashura was a real person, he could be a future threat. If the two King Ashuras were the same person, there was always the possibility of him coming back.

"You never heard of King Ashura?" Sakura butted in out of curiosity.

"No. I never heard of that name in my lifetime!" Taylor lied. She chimed up hoping that Sakura couldn't see through her.

"King Ashura is the reigning king over the land. As for his personality, nobody really knows much about him. He tends to remain within palace walls and keeps to himself." Fai explained to Taylor.

"How is it possible to know nothing about the one who makes all of the decisions about what happens to the country you live in?" Taylor countered.

Now it was Fai's turn to be perplexed. Fai broke eye contact and turned his head to the side. Surely, Taylor did have a point. Fai thought for a second before dismissing it. He reestablished eye contact before answering.

"That is because he is the king. I am merely a peasant. I am in the lowest class in the caste. Therefore, I am insignificant compared to a king." Fai concluded.

"Do you consider yourself insignificant Fai?" Taylor approached the topic gently. She had a clue of what she was doing. Fai shrunk back a bit. Taylor had hit the nail on the head dead on.

"That is not relevant of our conversation." Fai said bluntly. He scowled at Taylor for a second before she decided to drop the issue.

"Fine. As soon as I can walk, I'll leave you and burden you no more."

"I think not." Fai returned sharply. "I will not have you leaving to injury yourself further. I do not want my hospitality to be wasted carelessly by sheer impulse. I do not like having my time misused."

"But surely I must be inconvenient to you by taking up space." Taylor smiled lightly. She was not about to give up. Taylor did not like to impose upon others.

"You are not leaving until you truly want to. This discussion is over." Fai responded flatly.

"Does this mean that you're done talking about King Ashura?" Sakura questioned.

"Yes, Sakura. I'm afraid that story time has been over a while ago." Taylor patted Sakura's head softly and flashed a smile full of melancholy.

"I think that it is time for you to go to bed." Fai hissed.

"Oh! Okay." Sakura scrambled to pick up all of the dishes.

"Not you." Fai corrected.

"Sorry." Sakura became flustered by her mistake. She had misinterpreted Fai.

"I guess I said too much didn't I?" Taylor said more to herself than to anyone in particular.

"I'll still clean this up." Sakura busily went to work in the kitchen. She started to pile up the cups and plates.

"Sakura, that actually was a good meal. I had never had bacon before. It was delicious!" Taylor praised the younger girl.

"Really?"

"Goodnight." Fai cut the conversation short. Sakura briskly scrubbed the dishes and Fai flicked off the downstairs lights, save for the kitchen. Fai sauntered up the stairs. Before he had turned in for the night, he had found out one thing about Taylor. She knew how to hold out in a conversation.


	6. Chapter 6

Fai arose early the next morning to find that Taylor was already trying to walk. He hissed loudly at her and shook his head in disapproval. Taylor glanced up at Fai in astonishment for a second then went back to the task of standing up.

"Sit back down." Fai ordered. His eyes held unwavering determination, for he was not about to lose the battle for dominance.

"No," Taylor responded defiantly, "The way that I get well again is to push myself beyond my limitations."

"Taylor-chan! Don't!" Sakura rushed over to the other female's side and put her hands on her shoulders to push her back down on the couch. Taylor shrugged the hands away and used the armrest to hoist her body up. Her feet wobbled sideways for a step but she continued on. The sight was not pretty but Taylor actually managed to stand on her own feet. She let go of the couch and looked up at Fai with a triumphant grin on her face.

"Please do not underestimate me. I may not look like it but I am so much stronger than just physically." Taylor said curtly. She turned away and extended a foot forward to take a step. Sakura stayed on the edge and prepared for the worst as she raised her hands. Taylor lowered her foot slowly and put weight down as she moved further. Her body shifted forward without any hitches.

You should not be walking let alone be off that couch." Fai cut the silence. He was still adamant about Taylor's decision. Fai was overwhelmed by the amount of unruliness that Taylor chose to display. He was positive that there was much more disobedience that Taylor kept smothered.

"Watch me recover and amaze you with my prowess. I will be much more useful than just a warm body taking up space. I want to help."

"Do you need a cane?" Sakura stared at Taylor, bewilderment much more evident on her face than Fai decided to share.

"No. Just leave me be. I'll be prancing around in no time!" Taylor waved her hand and chimed optimistically.

"Prancing around is the one thing you will not be doing." Fai stated absolutely.

"Whatever you say daddy dearest!" Taylor prodded at the older man.

Sakura busted out into a giggle fit. Fai sharply turned his head and simply stared at Sakura wide-eyed. Had he heard wrong or was he seriously being mocked? Fai stood in disbelief that this stranger could take away any respect he held with one jest.

"Did you…?" Fai started to say.

"Please forgive my little joke. I was, ahem, merely teasing you."

Fai remained silent, obviously still agitated about Taylor's remark. Taylor dropped her face down towards the ground so that her bangs covered her eyes, making her expression unreadable. She walked forward, appearing to pay no heed to Fai's discomfort. In reality, Taylor had caused herself pain by hurting her host's feelings. She was extremely intuitive and sensitive of others emotions.

"What are you going to do now that you can walk? Are you actually going to leave?"

"…"

"No she is not." Fai cut into Taylor's unvoiced thoughts.

"How can you still say that after I just insulted you?"

"No matter what you say, I still will not change my mind. You are staying here." Fai concluded.

"Fai! You can't just force a person to stay when they don't want to!" Sakura exclaimed.

"It's either that or she can be turned loose to get killed." Fai simply stated.

"That's not fair!"

"It appears that my choices are both grim." Taylor grimaced to herself.

"You can't go back to your homeland, now can you?"

"That is correct." Taylor answered plainly.

"What?" Sakura interrupted.

"I thought so."

Sakura stared at Taylor, not believing her words. What could have she possibly done to not be allowed to go back to her country?

"You do realize that I am a fugitive by law?" Taylor asked uneasily.

"Yes."

"I just wanted you to know what you are getting yourself into." Taylor explained.

"I'll take my chances." Fai straightforwardly responded.

"I see." Taylor shifted uncomfortably. She walked outside, leaving Fai and Sakura alone.

"What are you thinking?" Sakura questioned her brother uncertainly.

"Would you rather have her die?"

"No. This is not like you Fai. You don't normally take in strangers. Why did you do it?" Sakura countered.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was simply being a Good Samaritan." Fai retorted.

"Are you sure that it isn't something more?"

Taylor slowly sauntered out into nature. She inhaled all of the scents, not able to identify any of them. A breeze of wind graced her face, brushing her hair gently. Taylor craned her head up to look at a dove in the blue sky. She extended her finger out and allowed the bird to perch. Taylor stared in wonder at the bird. She studied its features and listened to the dove chirp. Shortly after, the bird took flight and landed on the top of a pine tree.

Fai decided that it was time for him to draw the line. He exited out of the cabin to go after Taylor. It didn't take Fai long to find her, for she was standing a few feet away from the hut. Taylor was stood unmoving from her spot, with a serene smile plastered on her face. She had a finger held out. Fai glanced up to meet her gaze. He saw what she was looking at.

"You like birds?" Fai asked.

"Is that what they are called?" Taylor pointed up and questioned back. She had no idea that such creatures existed.

"Yes. You never saw a bird before?"

"No. I am afraid not. It is much too cold for any such being to survive where I live at." Taylor responded full of melancholy. She weakly smiled to reassure Fai.

"What do you recognize here?" Fai responded out of curiosity.

"Nothing. Nothing here is familiar. Your land is so full of strange surprises." Taylor answered quietly.

"Like what?"

"Your world is surrounded with green mountains and is not consumed by snow."

"Green mountains? Oh! You mean the trees?" Fai reiterated Taylor's response.

"You mean they are not mountains?" Taylor frowned, not fully understanding what Fai was saying. She locked eyes with Fai, clearly intrigued by what he had told her. Taylor wanted to learn more about this odd country.

"No. They are not mountains. Do you want to see more of what's here?" Fai changed gears without warning.

"Trees are not the only thing here?"

"Of course. Do you want me to show you?" Fai offered. He took a step forward.

"Sakura does not like me." Taylor replied bluntly.

"What?"

"I can tell that your sister does not approve of me." Taylor looked right into Fai's eyes and continued on, "She refuses to trust me and I do not blame her. You do not believe in me either and I understand that."

"What makes you think that? For the record, I have not stated any sort of opinion."

"Your very essence screams otherwise. You leak out hostility and uncertainty." Taylor returned emotionlessly.

"Do not assume things are as they seem. Unless I say something, don't act on impulse. Relying on feelings and hunches only gets you killed or leaves you poor in this world." Fai curtly barked out.

"Heh, is that so? You are a terrible liar. Not only do you try to mask your true intentions, you also deny your instincts."

"I could say the same about you when it comes to being a terrible liar." Fai spat back irritably.

"So you can see through me." Taylor confirmed. She walked back in the direction of the cabin.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"Away from you. Your thoughts are in disorder. You need to sort out your priorities." Taylor answered.

Fai watched as Taylor went back inside. He stood there, trying to figure out what she had meant. Fai heard Sakura's voice from inside; she was clearly talking to Taylor. All of the sudden, he heard Sakura shriek in terror. The door flew open and Taylor ran out. She charged into the forest, not slowing down. Sakura emerged after her.

"Taylor! Come back here! You shouldn't be running with a knife in your hand!" Sakura hollered at her.

"She has a knife?"

"Yes! She came inside and didn't answer me!" Sakura informed Fai between breaths, "Taylor went straight into the kitchen and grabbed one of the knives. When I asked her what she was doing, she ran away from me!"

"Are you sure she grabbed a knife?" Fai interrogated.

"I saw her run out with a knife, Fai!" Sakura hissed back, "Taylor ran into the woods! You need to go get her!"

"That's not really a good idea to chase after someone who wields a knife, but I get the gist of what you mean."

Fai plunged into the woods to find Taylor. He was positive that she could have not gotten very far. It was not how far away she was that bothered Fai. It was the fact that the forest was a very unforgiving place where it was easy to get lost. Trees surrounded the area for miles around and there was another threat. Wild animals roamed around the dense thicket. Fai sped up his jog and pushed forward.

Fai made every twist and turn possible looking for Taylor but found no sign. Fai had been in the forest for hours; Taylor had disappeared in the woods. There was one place where he did not search yet. That was the reservoir, the spot where she was originally found at.

Now was as good of a time to look there as any. Fai headed in the direction of the stream, checking to see if she was there. The sun had begun to descend and Fai was becoming nervous. He was about to assume the worst had happened. Finally, he had reached his destination and panned around the area.

By the river's edge, Taylor sat composed. She did not acknowledge Fai's presence. Around her, strands of cut hair laid strewn about. The knife was discarded out of her reach, she was not about to attack anyone. Fai drew closer and observed that Taylor's hair had been chopped off, her hair bobbing several inches away from her shoulders. Her hair curled towards the end and was much shorter. Taylor had her eyes shut, visibly unaware of her surroundings.

"This is where you found me at?" Taylor broke the silence. She slowly opened her eyes and swiveled her body around to greet Fai.

"How did you know?"

"My meditation told me so. Intuition is not just a hindrance." Taylor responded dreamily. She appeared not to be completely there.

"Is there any particular reason why you hacked of a chunk of your own hair?" Fai questioned her.

"Alienation. I need to sever all ties between me and my world. That is the only way I can ever thrive." Taylor spoke unremorsefully. She did not regret her decision.

"Is that your reason why you ran into the wild with a weapon in your hand?" Fai asked sarcastically.

"I guess you can say that." Taylor answered truthfully.

"It is about to get dark soon. Were you planning on staying here for the night?"

"No, I was just going to wait until you and Sakura were asleep and sneak back in. That was my plan I had if you didn't show up." Taylor explained.

"Sneak in? Are you serious?" Fai joked.

"Very much so."

"Get up. You are not staying out here until nightfall. Don't think that I haven't noticed that you haven't eaten once today either." Fai retorted.

"Okay!"

Taylor stood up and grabbed the knife. She handed it over to Fai as a sign of peace. Fai led Taylor towards the way out and she followed after him wordlessly. She stifled a yawn and continued on. Taylor wondered what kind of food she was going to eat next. She had to admit, she was starving.


End file.
